Argentina swamp women 9-0

SANTO DOMINGO: Defending women’s field hockey world champions Argentina opened the XIV Pan American Games here yesterday, with a ruthless 9-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago. And the Trinidad and Tobago men team was edged 3-2 by Cuba on Saturday night. But Argentina coach Sergio Vigil said his team’s biggest accomplishment couldn’t be seen on the scoreboard. “The most important thing was we survived the heat,” Vigil said. “That was our biggest worry.” The heavily favoured Argentines have been holding early morning training sessions to get  used to the 32-degree Celcius temperatures and humidity as they work to clinch the gold and add to their fast-growing title collection. Alejandra Gulla and Cecilia Rognoni scored two goals apiece for the Lionesses while Magdalena Aicega, Cecilia del Carril, Natali Doreski, Maria Paz Ferrari and Maria De la Paz Fernandez scored one each. Despite the lop-sided margin, Gulla insisted the match proved a bigger challenge than the final result showed. “We’re very happy,” she said. “Getting over the heat and playing well despite an early start time meant a great start for us.”

On Saturday night, the TT men hockey team lost to Cuba despite a double by skipper Kwandwane Browne. The men would be looking for their first success today when they face Canada, while the women will square off against Chile tomorrow. In the men’s trap shooting event, Trevor Lall who shot rounds of 17, 22 and 21 on Saturday, recorded scores of 19 and 23 yesterday. But his total of 101 consigned him to the 23rd and last position, while Cheryl-Ann Logie finished 22nd in the women’s 10-metre air pistol with a tally of 359 points. Soldier Roger Daniel, who placed seventh in the men’s 10-metre air pistol, will return to the range to compete in the 50-metre air pistol, while in tennis, top national player Shane Stone will battle Gerold Gellizeaux of St Vincent in the first round, with the winner meeting former World No 1 Chile’s Marcelo Rios in the next phase. Commonwealth Games heavyweight boxing  silver medallist Kerston Manswell, joined the Trinidad and Tobago contingent here yesterday and, according to chef-de-mission Brian Lewis, “he looks in good shape and is raring to go.” Also expected to join the team tomorrow are teenage sprint sensation Darrel Brown and boxing coach Gordon Hoyte.